A Sims 2 Story Blog

Old Money (Crabtree)

The Crabtree family goes back generation, in fact it is one of the oldest families in the area. That is way it came as a shock to some in the city when Councilman Crabtree proposed the little island of Oasis Valley as a suburban paradise. There were only a few families that signed on to the adventure but most people were cautious enough of the Crabtree name to at least smile and pretend to agree when Councilman Crabtree talked about Oasis Valley. Will the majority was right Oasis Valley was a flop, not that it is Councilman Crabtree fault, nope it was the fault of his partners. Not wanting to give up on his dream Councilman Crabtree retired from politics and move his family to Oasis Valley were they opened a little grocery story. They family has been in the area now for some years and Damon Crabtree (Councilman Crabtree’s grandson) is Oasis Valley’s wealthiest citizen and sole business owner.

Damon’s father Luther had a bit of a problem with alcohol and was killed in a car accident when he was a young man (a couple of years before Councilman Crabtree died). The death was ruled as an accident and with the right amount of money the papers and police report had no mention of Luther’s blood alcohol levels. Damon never knew his mother and neither his father or grandfather ever talked about her. So, it should come as no surprise that Damon was somewhat a playboy in his day. In fact, he never thought that he would settle down until the day he met his wife Jennifer while traveling on vacation in the Far East. He was awed by her beauty and married her within three weeks of meeting her. Jennifer was aware of the fact that Damon had money, she was shocked to see how much. His house was bigger than the hotels in her village.

Within a year of marrying Jennifer and Damon had their first child Sharon. Then came Ruth and the Peggy. They had really wanted a boy to carry on the Crabtree name, but with Damon’s advance years it was getting harder and harder for Jennifer to get pregnant.

Present

Ruth Crabtree was at lost. Her father really wanted her to one day run the family store, Crabtree Groceries. But her heart was just not into it. Sure she smiled and said all the right things when he talked about the business but it was just not want she wanted to do. In fact she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. She could never voice this to her parents, her father was so driven and her mother was content with being a wife and semi-business partner. On those days were her father forced her to come in and work (which was four times a week), she would dutifully go about her task. Taking with customers, stocking shelfs, and working the register.

Ruth in fact had tried her hands at several different activities. She tried to paint, but no one was impressed not even herself. She tried to play an instrument but almost made herself deaf. She tried helping her mother in the families small garden, but her thumbs were just not green enough. The only thing she was good at was fixing things. But her father would never allow her to be a common laborer. Ruth Crabtree a blue collar worker, that would be a shame to the Crabtree name.

Now while Ruth had a problem trying to figure out what she wanted in life, little Sharon Crabtree had no such worries. Ever since she was a toddler it was know what she was destined to be, a musician. As of yet, there was no musical instrument that little Ruth put her hand one that she could not play, and unlike her older sister now one left the room when she played. She finally settled on the violin and decided one day she would be the best violin player in the whole world. Damon and Jennifer encouraged little Ruth’s dreams and spent tons of money making sure she had the best teacher that money could buy.

Jennifer was well aware of her daughter’s Ruth troubles, even if they did not talk openly about them. But she decided it was best for the girl to find out what she wanted in her life on her own. Besides she was much to busy taking care of the family and helping in the story. Even though the town was very small, people liked to come to Oasis Valley on hikes and to explore the woods. So, they were doing alright.

When she was not at the store (which was stopped by one day a week). Jennifer was busy either tending her garden.

Or preparing little Peggy for school. Jennifer had already paid Peggy’s tuition to the girls school that both Ruth and Sharon attended. There was no way that she was going to like her children attend public school in the city. She wanted the best for her family and she was going to make sure of that. It only problem was that Oasis Valley did not have any other families that were of the same quality that they were. There old neighbors had just sold their house to some lottery winners who were poor from the start and she did not want her children socializing with them.

Damon was not as short sighted as either has wife or oldest daughter though he was. He could sense Sharon’s restlessness and it worried him. His father had the same kind of restless energy and he ended up an alcoholic. He really had wanted a son but that didn’t look like it was going to happen. And since he had no son, it was going to fall on his eldest child to take care of the store and the family money when he died. So, one day Damon decided to close the store early (the first time in years) and called Jennifer and told her to bring Sharon to the store was that the three of them could have a talk.

Damon: How are things going, Ruth?

Ruth: Their going good dad? Why?

Damon: Well you seem a little restless lately. Me and your mother are being to worry.

Thinking that this was the perfect opportunity to get out of helping in the story Ruth replied ” Well it is really hard trying to keep up with all my school work and working here at the store four days a week.”

Jennifer: See, Damon. I told you it would be to much for the girl.

Damon: Well, I really can’t spare you now. With the new residents that moved in business is going to pick up. And I can’t do it by myself.

Sharon: But dad, I took all those advance classes that you wanted and I am having a really hard time keeping up. After I get home I am just so tried. (She turned a pleading eye to her mother, so really hoped this would work).

Jennifer: Damon, you know how important it is for the girls to have an education.

Damon: It is just as important for them to know how to juggle things and work hard.

Jennifer: How about a comprimise. Ruth , you’ll work here three days a week. I will come in an extra day.

Damon: What about Peggy and Sharon.

Jennifer: It will now be Ruth’s responsible to watch them while I am at the store. She can now spend time with her sisters.

It was the solution that she was hoping for. But teaching Peggy nursery rhymes and helping Sharon with her homework sure did beat stocking toilet tissue.

The family set into a little routine. Ruth worked at the store three days a week and watched Sharon and Peggy when her mom was not around. Sharon played the violin all day. Damon ran the shop so that he could have something to leave his children and keep him active. Jennifer that the family had breakfast and dinner together every night and that when Peggy finally became eligible for school she got to into the best one (like Ruth and Sharon).